Category Archives: Blog

Summer, with its balmy days and light evenings, is the perfect season to embrace the great outdoors and do something super special with your other half. And plus, you can guarantee that embarking on an outdoor activity together will linger longer in the memory than a trip to the cinema or a meal for two at your local restaurant!

So, whether you’re wooing a new love, impressing a partner of ten years, or maybe even celebrating an anniversary, here are our top 10 summer date ideas:

Take a trip to a local farm and pick a punnet for two of strawberries. You could use them to make a scrumptious dessert, pack them for a picnic, or simply enjoy them in the comfort of your back garden.

A swim in the British sea is super chilly, yes. But, a swim in the British sea at dusk or dawn is also very romantic! If you’re braving the waters in the evening, reward yourself with some fish and chips to enjoy on the beach afterwards.

Forget a picnic in a park…tuck into lunch together on a paddleboat, instead! Take in turns to row to avoid unnecessary arguments and don’t forget to just stop – oars still – and appreciate your surroundings.

On a clear, mild, dry evening, escape the city and go stargazing. See if you can spot any of the constellations and look out for shooting stars. If you want to make the evening extra special, pack candles, a blanket, some food and drink.

Pick a breezy day to fly a kite together. Watch it soar and swoop in the sky – and hope it doesn’t nosedive or snap!

Dust off your saddles, pump up those tyres and enjoy a leisurely bike ride together. Head out into the countryside or pick a coastal route, stopping off at a picturesque spot to enjoy your packed lunch.

Do something devilishly daredevil as a duo – go scuba diving, sign-up for a couple’s bungee, or leap from a plane on a skydive!

OK, we know we just bad-mouthed trips to the flicks, but outdoor cinemas are different! There’s something mega magical about watching a film under a star-speckled sky. Just don’t forget to pack something warm.

Spend some quality time together, sans distractions, on a camping trip. Reminisce over your time together and talk about future adventures as you cook food over a campfire (cheesy guitar music and singing optional).

If you’ve been (or are planning to go) on an awesome summer date, and we haven’t mentioned it above, let us know what it is. The tribe here at Banana HQ are always keen to hear your inspiring ideas!

Oh, summer. We spend all of autumn, winter and spring dreaming of your sun-filled days, and when you eventually arrive, we complain about the heat! Many of us spend our Saturdays and Sundays seeking out the shadiest spots, as we incessantly fan our faces with any object that’s up to the job. Pass us that magazine!

To all you heat-haters, fear not; the Go Ape tribe are here to help! We’re lucky that our courses are kept nice and cool by the canopy of the trees; but if you’re out and about in the sunshine and want to beat the heat, here are 20 ingenious tips for doing just that:

1. When wanting to wear socks, submerge them in a bowl of ice-cold water before putting them on.

2. Thread a shoestring through three ice cubes and hang around the neck.

3. Make friends with a hummingbird in the hope that it will become your loyal face-fanner.

4. Wet and freeze a bunch of flannels to plonk on your face at any given opportunity.

Have you swung through the trees with Go Ape before? Have you felt the high ropes in your hands, the wood beneath your feet and the wind in your face as you soared through the air via zip wire? Great, now, onto your next, forest-themed adventure!

This week under the spotlight: our self-balancing, all-terrain Segways, which transport tribespeople into the heart of the forest to enjoy an hour’s worth of exploration. As soon as you’ve had a quick training session from one of the Go Ape tribe at Segway base (where you’ll master controlling the machines), you’ll be free to roam!

Maybe you’ve been on a Segway before. They’re becoming more and more popular in big cities with tour groups. A designated guide takes the helm and you all roll around soaking up the sights, while learning more about the area.

City Segway tours are good fun, but believe us when we say, they are nothing compared to Segway-ing in the forest! You have absolute freedom. Forget congestion, pavements and pre-defined routes. You pick the path, you pick the pace, you sculpt your own adventure!

Expect simple paths and trickier trails, too. Expect to weave in and out of the tree trunks. Expect bumps, lumps and dips. Expect to see wildlife. Expect to breathe in fresh, crisp scents of the forest. Expect to laugh. Expect to make memories that’ll last forever!

We could go on (and on, and on) about how awesome our Forest Segway Experience is. But we realise that we’re obviously going to be a little biased and you may not end up trusting us fully. So, that’s why we’ve rounded up some fellow tribespeople to share their Segway experiences with us and you. We want you to hear about this unique adventure straight from the horse’s, no wait, monkey’s mouth!

Every other week throughout the summer, we’ll be uploading a new video where we quiz a tribe on their Go Ape adventure. The Adventure Tales will chronicle the emotions, thoughts and experiences of a tribe when they #SeizeAdventure with Go Ape. They’ll tell us truly how they felt whilst embarking on a Go Ape adventure and will hopefully inspire you to book a visit to the trees!

So, without further ado, let’s hear what three, lovely chaps had to say about their recent Forest Segway Experience …

The sun is out, the trees are green and summer is officially in the air! There’s no better time to get outside and get acquainted with good old Mother Nature, a lady that we’re very good pals with!

After all, the Tribe here at Banana HQ spend a lot of our time hanging out in some of the most beautiful locations in the UK. And if you were looking for a good reason to come and check out some of the stunning natural surroundings we immerse ourselves in every day, you’ll be happy to hear that 24th-30th July is National Parks Week! If that’s not an excuse to celebrate the great outdoors, then we don’t know what is!

What is National Parks Week all about?

National Parks Week is the annual celebration of the 15 spectacular National Parks of the UK, with a variety of events taking place throughout the week. From the rolling hills of the Brecon Beacons to the wild ponies of Exmoor, from the heather-strewn wilds of the Yorkshire Dales to the glittering waters of the Lake District, the National Parks of this country are filled with unique treasures, just the place to seize adventure and embrace the summer months!

So where are they?

Broads

Brecon Beacons

Cairngorms

Dartmoor

Exmoor

Lake District

Loch Lomond and the Trossachs

New Forest

Northumberland

North York Moors

Peak District

Pembrokeshire Coast

South Downs

Yorkshire Dales

How to make the most of the parks.

There are endless ways for the imaginative explorer to make the most of these breath-taking landscapes. Whether you want to gather your friends for a camping trip, push yourself to the limit on an epic hike, enjoy leisurely bike rides with a certain special someone or take the kids out on a boat trip, the National Parks of Great Britain were made for outdoors activities! You’ll be spoiled for choice!

Of course, you could think outside the box a little and gain a whole new perspective on the National Parks by taking to the treetops and seizing the chance to try out one of our courses at Go Ape. Yes, we really have secured some of the choicest scenic spots in the UK with some of our courses situated right in the heart of the most beautiful National Parks!

You could tackle the ladders, tunnels and Tarzan swings on our adrenaline-pumping Dalby Forest course up on the North York Moors, or fly through the trees for over 400m on two of the UK’s longest zip wires at Go Ape Aberfoyle, in the Trossachs. You might even choose to unleash your inner ape at Go Ape Buxton, taking in the beautiful scenery of the Peak District.